Sunday, August 19, 2007

Jewish education group slams Tamir over budget cut

-----B"H

This woman is a threat to all of Israel. She is completely out of control and should be out of office asap.

M-----Education minister cuts budget of Association of Centers for the Promotion of Jewish Education that relies on national service volunteers to provide lessons in Jewish heritage, Zionismhttp://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3439178,00.htmlTamar Trabelsi-HadadPublished: 08.19.07, 10:05 / Israel News

An umbrella group that promotes Jewish education in Israeli schools on Sunday slammed Education Minister Yuli Tamir over her decision to slash their government budget.

The Association of Centers for the Promotion of Jewish Education said Tamir's decision was politically motivated, accusing the education minister of targeting the group over their religious orientation.Tamir said that across-the-board budget cuts introduced by the government in the 2008 state budget were behind her decision to cut the association's budget by 35 percent and to reduce its workforce from 270 to 130 female staff was part.

She added that the decision was also based on her ministry's new policy not to allow unqualified teachers into public schools."We have decided that people who are unqualified to teach and who are affiliated with this or that current will not enter public schools – be it from the Hashomer Hatzair, the right or the center," Tamir said.The association relies on female national service volunteers to provide lessons in Jewish studies and Zionism to Israeli pupils in public schools.

A campaign against Tamir's decision was launched by the group on the internet. Campaigners accused the education minister of "destroying the teaching of Jewish heritage and symbols."

Tamir accused of bias"The education minister aspires to implement the demands of the Israeli Arabs and the Supreme Monitoring Committee. The contents dealing with Zionist and national core issues should be taken out of Minister Tamir's hands," said Housing and Construction Minister Ze'ev Boim. "The education minister cannot get past her political inclinations," he stated.

Boim suggested to establish an independent "committee of sages" that would set the curriculum of Zionist studies in Israel.

Tamir's decision also prompted anger among the religious Zionist sector, and thousands of pamphlets published by the National Jewish Front organization were distributed across the West Bank Sunday calling on national service female volunteers to discontinue their service.

"If they don't want the national service girls, who are doing very important work, it's their problem. Let's see the draft-dodgers from Tel Aviv change diapers. Here again we are disengaging from the State, and the State will be on the losing side," said National Jewish Front leader Baruch Marzel.